Unanticipated difficult airway due to undiagnosed oropharyngeal stenosis: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Unanticipated difficult airway is a challenging problem for anesthesiologists. Oropharyngeal stenosis (OPS) is a rare complication of upper airway surgery which may cause difficult airway. We present a patient whose postsurgical OPS was revealed during the induction of general anesthesia, and necessitated reschedule of surgery and tracheotomy. We also discuss the etiology and risk factors of postsurgical OPS.

Keywords

• Oropharyngeal stenosis
• Difficult airway
• Upper airway surgery